


Gone

by stefanardeal



Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV)
Genre: F/M, M/M, Mild Language
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-22
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-13 16:01:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 8,347
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28906032
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stefanardeal/pseuds/stefanardeal
Summary: I know in my life that friends would go missing, come to be someone’s next music buddy, or become their next best friends for life, but I never knew he would be my boyfriend.
Relationships: Alex Mercer & Willie (Julie and The Phantoms), Julie Molina & Nick, Luke Patterson/Reggie Peters (Julie and The Phantoms)
Kudos: 5





	1. Chapter One - A Key, A Note, A Photo

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, the story is also being updated quicker on Wattpad if you really want to know what happens in the story. I am still continuing this even if I take days to update here. 
> 
> \- Stefan Ardeal :)

The beautiful day started with Julie waking up to the birds chirping and her friends singing an opening bit of one of the new songs they are writing. Removing the mask on her face, she opens her eyes to see her best friends smiling at her. "Why did you guys wake me up?"

"Well, since we are actually..." Luke starts to play with his pinkies as he smiles at Alex and Reggie. He bit his lower lip before continuing " _Human_."

Julie nods before scooting up in her bed to let her three friends sit down on the bed. Alex sat beside her as Luke and Reggie took up the bottom half of the bed. "We are wondering, what are we going to do today?"

Glancing at the clothes that once belonged to her mother. She then looks up at them. "I am going to focus on cleaning up my room a bit. I need to clean my mother's clothes just to have a clean mind later."

Luke and the others nod at Julie's reasons. She is still a young teen so she needs to have some responsibility for some things. Luke and the others got off the bed. "Well, if you need us. We will all be in the studio writing some more songs that come to our mind."

She watches as they leave out the door. Gazing back at the clothes she has worn that were once her mother's. She removes the covers off of herself before picking up all the clothes and placing all the ones she worn in a basket for her to wash later. Or for her Aunt to wash.

A chill goes down her back as she peeks over to see her window open. Walking over to her glass window, laying her hands on the still, she sees her buddies playing Frisbee outside with Carlos.

She still doesn't know why her brother still thinks they are ghosts. It's not like he found out the CD that once belongs to the dead boy band in her closet. Darting over to her closet. She searches for the CD to still find it in the box.

Pushing the box back inside the closet, she sighs before closing the doors and getting up from the floor. She turns around to see a figure at the door, and her first instinct is to scream. "Ah!"

"Julie!" Flynn shouts as she facepalms as Julie pouts at her.

"God, please say something when you are here. Nearly gave me a heart attack!"

"Sorry! I notice the phantoms are outside and playing Frisbee with your brother," Flynn replies as she starts playing with Julie's slime collection that is near her makeup collection.

"Yeah, they woke me up. Like literally very early."

"Must be the perks of having a live boy band as your alarm. Where can I buy one?" Flynn exclaims as she places her head on Julie's shoulder. Julie too focused on a note found inside one of her mother's jackets. Flynn notices the envelope before asking what it was.

"It's a note from someone called Bobby. It was sent to my mother in 1996. Just a year after the boy's death."

Flynn nods before leading her friend over to the bed where they sit down. Julie exhales before opening the letter to find three things. A key, a note, and a picture.

Looking at the picture. It looked to be a young version of Trevor Wilson. Also known as the guy who was once in Sunset Curve when his bandmates were alive. "That's Trevor Wilson."

"Carrie's father."

"Why did he sent her a note, a picture, and a key?" Flynn questions as Julie shrugs her shoulder before unfolding the note to see it was all written in cursive. Something Julie isn't able to read well without her glasses. So, she gave the note to Flynn. "Can you read it for me?"

She nods before clearing her throat. "Dear Rose. It's me again. I know you don't want to see me because of what I told you three weeks ago. So I placed all my love into showing you this project I've been working on. I was hoping you'll come along because they would be happy if you were there. You were the last girl they were able to hit on before they died. Would mean a lot, Bobby."

It took quite the second for Julie to comprehend it all. Trevor Wilson, or Bobby, gave her a little show. Just for her to pity him and or date him. But Julie was all wrong when she saw the picture. It was her mother, Bobby, and some unfamiliar woman that looks a lot like Carrie.


	2. Chapter Two - Sunset Curve Shirt

Staring at the photo. She notices the similar strawberry hair that Carrie has. The same blue eyes her father has. This woman must've been Carrie's mother before the death of both of their mothers. Her cheery smile is present on Carrie's mother. Carrie got her smile from her mother. Maybe that's why she dislikes Julie so much.

Julie looks similar to Rose so that's why she dislikes her. Because Julie reminds Carrie of her mother's friend, also known as Rose. "Should I tell Carrie about this? Or Trevor first?"

Flynn sits still as she has zero clues on how to help her friend in this. They were both moved by the sudden entrance of the boys downstairs. Shouting and yelling were heard as they were starting to walk up the stairs.

Julie gets up and grabs the things that were inside the envelope, she places them inside of her dream box. Hoping no one; also known as Luke Patterson would get into her box to see those three things.

Right when she closes the closet, her friends walk in. "Julie! Are you done yet?"

"Maybe, I just have my mom's clothes to sort. From the ones I like to the ones I absolutely adore."

Luke nods before sitting down on the desk chair she has for homework or for making some beats for when she is in bed and doesn't want to leave the comfort of her bed for some writing.

So she got her dad to buy her one and put it in her room. Watching as Reggie and Alex sit on her bed. "So where is my brother?"

"Downstairs with your Aunt."

Julie forgot today her Aunt was coming to talk about her ghost buddies. Well, they are more like bandmates buddies...

"Right. Give me some time and I'll be downstairs."

They all nod as Alex is the first one out the door, following is Luke and Reggie. Flynn turns to look at Julie. "When are you going to tell them about it? I'm sure one of these days they are going to find out that you've been lying to them about that letter."

"You're right but I am just going to wait a bit more. They are happy." Julie mutters as she roams through her mother's clothes before coming to a box of something.

Pulling out the box, Julie saw something shiny, beautiful, and golden. Her mother's golden name necklace, Julie and Ray got for her birthday a couple of years before Carlos was born.

"She kept it."

Flynn bit her lower lip as she takes a closer inspection inside the box, to not find the "Sunset Curve" shirt from days ago.

"Oh, I placed it on my desk. I might be wearing that tonight. For when we play some games and listen to some golden songs."

Flynn nods before getting up and walking over to the desk. Searching for the shirt, she turns around to look at Julie. "Where is the shirt?"

Julie's head shot up at those words. She too gets up and walks over to see the shirt missing from the corner of the desk. She turns to look at Flynn before they both said the same thing.

"Luke."

The two best friends rush out the door to see Luke showing off the shirt to his bandmates. "...see! I told you she had something to do with us. She has the shirt we gave to Rose. The beauty we saw before we died."

Luke was going to ask what was wrong with his friends when Reggie points behind him. Slowly turning around with a very annoyed Julie with her hands crossed. "Did I ever tell you to steal my mother's favorite shirt?"

"No, but why did your mother decorate it?"

Julie got the shirt back before looking at the three, well four because of Flynn but she already knows. She knows the entire story, like 10 thousand times already.

"You know. My mother was the bartender at the Orpheum before she got a head start singing at the Orpheum with her best friends, also known as the Petals to her. Rose and the Petal Pushers." Julie says as she goes back upstairs to find the ticket that was once her father's but he accidentally lost it the night of her mother's first show. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am also on Wattpad where more chapters are posted at: stefanardeal. :)


	3. Chapter Three - Feels Like Home

A few seconds go by as Julie comes back with a ticket for Rose's first show with her best friends. The one her father accidentally lost. Sitting down on the couch, she pulls out her glasses before reading the data that was on the ticket. "16th November 1996."

"Man, I remember Bobby stayed behind with your mother, the day we died," Luke mumbles as he lays his head on Alex's shoulder. Sending some unknowingly jealous feelings into Reggie's and Julie's minds.

Julie turns to look at Flynn. "So what are _we_ going to do today?"

"We are going to cook breakfast, Mija," Ray says as he walks in to see everyone present on the couches or floor. Julie nods before looking at her friends.

"Don't be late for breakfast, guys."

Luke and the boys nod before walking out the doors to the studio. "So what song are we going to be singing?"

"I don't know. Something that might good to wind down to." Reggie states as he finds his bass guitar on its stand before turning it on and playing some notes. It was quiet at first but then the sudden crescendo of notes coming from Reggie's bass made Luke feel right back at home.

Alex was of course not right back at home because something felt off in his heart. Flipping through the pages, he found something from his journal that was left behind by his parents. Opening the first page, he found it scribbled in with a red marker. The words that rang disgust and freak from his father's mouth, brought tears to his eyes.

Reggie notices this, as his sudden mood on his bass guitar changing completely to match his feeling. Placing it down, Luke followed, as they stand by Alex. "What happened?"

"I found my journal. The one I told you guys about. The one I was writing everything that happened ever since I told them about me being gay." He shows his buddies the journal. The pages were scribbled on, ripped, or burned off.

"Aw man, hey we can head over to the store and get you a new one. One that will be given with love from your buddies." Luke says as he wraps his left hand around Reggie's waist.

"Your right. I can just get a new one..." Alex says as he throws the journal inside the trash bin before walking over to the drum set. Not being noticed by his bandmates, Reggie pulls the journal out and shoves it in his coat. He then begins to make his way upstairs to where he hid the journal inside an old desk that was once Rays.

Going back down the ladder, he finds Julie walking inside through the studio's doors. "Alright, you guys. For you, the first breakfast meal is a part of the Molina family. We are having Champurrado and Tamales for breakfast. Something my Aunt decided to make for us all." 

"Cool! We'll be right over after we are done putting our instruments away." Luke says for all of us as Julie nods. 

"Don't take too long or else we are going to begin without you!" 

Luke chuckles before looking at his friends to see them sitting on the couch. Minus Reggie, he looked to be sleeping. Alex then shakes Reggie a bit to wake him up. Reggie slowly opens his eyes before sighing. "I should have slept last night..." 

"You should have. Now you are tired. Come on, Julie and her family are waiting for us." Luke says as he grabs Reggie's right hand and brought him right up in front of him. Close by, Alex thought they were going to kiss. He was on his way to getting some champagne when he saw the two of them leaving out the studio's doors. Sighing in such annoyance, he placed the bottle down before putting on his fanny pack and walking out the studio, leaving the doors open.

Holding the door for Alex, they all walk inside to see Aunt Victoria, Ray, and Julie preparing the table for everyone to sit down. Alex noticed that Carlos is not eating at the table, which is strange because he would be the first one to be sitting at the table.

Walking over to Carlos, Alex notices that Carlos is on his laptop on some site called Roblox. Sitting down next to him, Alex smiles at him. "So what are you doing?"

"Playing Miners Haven with my friends, why?" Carlos looks up from his laptop to see Alex with a quizzical smile.

"Just wondering why you are doing hat instead of coming over to the table to eat breakfast? You never miss a day of eating..." Alex points out as Carlos nods. "I already had breakfast; you probably have to go ahead. I see my sister glaring over here."

Alex nodding before messing up Carlos's hair and getting up from the couch. He makes his way over to the table before sitting down. 


	4. Chapter Four - Awkward Breakfast

Julie smiles as her four friends sat around the grand table. Flynn is to her right as Luke and the others are to her left, leaving the space to Flynn's right for her Aunt and Dad.

"So, I heard you, boys, like playing the instruments?" Victoria says, trying to start a conversation with her niece's friends. Luke slowly looks up from his plate as he looks at the weird food placed on his plate.

"Of course we do. We feel at home when we do. Since some of our parents didn't like us playing or being in a band." Reggie spoke for Luke as Victoria directly made eye contact with all three boys before looking at her sister's daughter.

"So when is my favorite niece going to put on a beautiful show again?"

Julie wrinkled her nose as she slumps a bit more in her chair. Hoping to hide away from her Aunt's gaze. Flynn took this as a sign and stepped in. "I was thinking about doing a Halloween show at the school. This time it'll be better than last time."

When Flynn finishes, she looks over at the boys before giving them a gentle smile. She has to forget the past if she is going to be ready for the future with her friends.

"That would be adorable. Julie in her fairy dress. The one Rose got for Halloween two years ago!" Victoria rejoiced as she has a smile that reached her eyes. She remembers the fond memory of Julie hanging out with Carrie on that Halloween night.

" _Victoria_!" Julie shouts as she continues to slump in her chair in embarrassment.

"Julie? A fairy? Must be something we never knew about until now." Luke says among his friends as they all look at her.

"Oh come on Julie! It is cute that you were a fairy. Reggie went one year as a _**Finn the Human**_ from _Adventure Time_." Alex cheers as Reggie turns to look at him. Visible flushed from the telling of his favorite kid's show.

" _Hey_!"

Julie smiles, a little bit, not because she enjoys seeing Reggie suffering but because she is not the only one who has worn something embarrassing as a Halloween costume.

"Hey, enough about Reggie. I heard from Alex that Luke went as Brain all because he wanted to get a kiss from a girl he liked on Halloween!" Flynn smirked as Luke looks at Alex. He pouts as Reggie and Alex laugh. Julie looks over at her Aunt and Dad to see them both smiling.

"They are quite the handful," Victoria says as she walks around the table. Picking up the empty plates from the boys and Flynn.

"Quite the handful? I'm pretty sure I'm quite the plate." Reggie says folding his hands as Luke rolls his eyes at his joke.

"I'm sure you are dear. Now, who would like to help me with dishes?" Victoria asks as she raises an eyebrow at the kids.

"I will," Alex says as he gets up from the chair and makes his way over to Victoria. Helping her with the dishes. Julie and Flynn made their way back upstairs. At that second, when the studio doors closed. Reggie realized he was alone with Luke.

"So Reggie..." Luke looks over at Reggie to see him halfway up the ladder.

"Yes?"

Luke walks over to the ladder and follows Reggie up to the top little section of the studio. "What are you going to do, since you know, we don't have our teleportation powers anymore."

"I was going to sleep but if you want. We can do something. I mean–" Luke smiles before shaking his head.

"Get some rest, Reggie. You'll need it tomorrow." Reggie did not know which way to take that sentence in. The friendly way either as bandmates or as a flirty remark.

Ok, Reggie needs some sleep! He thinks as he walks over to the sleeping bag that Ray brought a couple of days ago from the attic for the boys to sleep.

Curling up in the sleeping bag, he begins to dream about many things. Including a life where he was never in a band and his parents were still together.

Opening his eyes, Reggie stares at the ceiling before sighing and sliding over to Alex's old journal to find an empty page. One that is not affected by his horrid parents.

Writing down what he was feeling, he does not know if he should keep this journal or buy a new one to continue from it. He made up his mind as he hears the delightful sound of Luke's guitar. It is enough to make Reggie sleep like a baby for once in a long time. 


	5. Chapter Five - Halloween Ideas

Julie opens the doors to the studio to sees Luke playing on his guitar softly as if he would hurt someone by playing normally. "Is something wrong?" She says as she walks over to stand in front of him.

"Reggie is sleeping because he didn't get any sleep last night... reasons, unknown," Luke informs her as he puts up his guitar.

"Well, Flynn suggested that we should go ahead and continue with Epic Saturday but since Reggie is sleeping. I guess that leaves us four to celebrate about the Orpheum that went ultra-well."

Leaning inwards, a smile presented on his face. "Well then let's get this celebration going!"

Julie follows Luke to her house while a peaceful Reggie sleeps. Julie continues to follow Luke out the door and to her home. Where they find a talkative Alex speaking with Victoria. "Oh Mijo, there are your friends."

Alex's ears perk up at the sound of his friends walking in. He was hoping to find the boy that plays the bass guitar but was disappointed when he did not hear the giggles of Reggie by now. Looking over at Julie, he made room on the couch. "Come on! Let's see what the wonderful YouTube has to offer us!"

Julie nods as she sits next to Alex. She removes her glasses and places them on the table beside the couch. "Alright let's do some karaoke!"

"I'll be in my room!" Carlos shouts as he races up the stairs to his room. Then the sudden sound of some random well-known rapper is heard on the speaker that is inside his room. For when he can drown out from hearing his sister sing all day.

Julie rolls her eyes as she looks over at her friends. "So what song are we randomly clicking on YouTube, Mister Mercer?"

"Uh..." Looking over at the TV as Julie placed her phone on airplay onto the smart TV. Alex continues to hum as Julie continues clicking to the right but before Luke could click on one. The doorbell is heard as everyone looks at each other.

The doorbell is ringed again as Julie gets up and raced over to the door. Making her father return to his chair in the kitchen where he is discussing some key details about a performance for Rose.

Ray's heart thumped in his chest as he looks over at Victoria. "I think she is ready to experience her mother's live show on the road. The one we've kept a secret for the longest time from her."

"Are you sure Ray?" Victoria queried as she bit the inside of her cheek at the thought of Julie seeing what happened on that live show.

Ray looks up from the papers that are on his side of the table. "One of these days, someone is going to tell her and I don't want to be on the wrong side again..."

The sudden opening of the door made Victoria and Ray hide the paperwork inside of the locked cabinet. That is not opened for anyone to look in without the beautiful key. The one with a petal-shaped rose gold gem embedded inside on the key on the front side of the key.

" _Nick_?" Julie gasped as she saw the beautiful flowers. Nick smiled at her, obviously only to fool her, but how would she know? She is merely only a girl with zero knowledge of how powerful her ignorance could be.

"Who is at the door, Mija?" Ray asks coming over to see the boy from the night a couple of days ago. "You..."

"Uh..."

"Welcome back. I'll glad you came around. Julie and Flynn were about to go shopping which could leave you and the boys to mingle!" Ray says as Julie looks over at the couch to see a freshly awakened Reggie laying down on Alex and Luke's laps. Mostly on Luke's but hey, she is too another captain of a familiar ship. If you get the memo.

"Right. Flynn! It's 12 o'clock! We got to go if we are going to find an outfit for us to wear that Halloween night!"

"I was thinking about it being based in _The Roaring Twenties_!" Flynn explained as she walks beside Julie as she looks over to see Nick looking at them. She placed a hand on Julie's shoulder before signaling her eyes towards the door. Julie rolls her eyes before nodding.

"Dad! Let's go!" Julie shouts as she walks out the door with Flynn by her side and her father not too far from her. Victoria waves goodbye before looking at the four boys in front of her.

"We are so going to have fun today!" Victoria beamed as Alex, Luke, and Reggie shared a look before seeing the feared look on Nick. Who we all know he isn't our baby, right? 


	6. Chapter Six - Proud Mary

Sitting down on the sofa, the boys all looked at each other. Nick to Luke, Luke to Reggie, Reggie to Alex, then Alex to _Victoria_? And what does she seem to have in her hands? A box?

All four boys look as if they've seen a ghost. Alone with Victoria, what is going to happen?

"So I was wondering who is wanting to sing Tina Turner with me," Victoria says pulling out a record player stand that has a rose and petals beside it. Maybe a gem that was forged by the mother of Julie.

"I'm down," Alex says as he looks over at his buddies to see Nick with a scolding look plastered on his face. Watching as Alex got up and made his way over to Victoria, Luke followed closely behind, leaving Reggie alone on the couch where a stealthy Nick decided to take advantage of.

Standing beside him, Nick grabbed his wrist before pressing hard with his right thumb on his pulse to place a wounded rainbow on his wrist. He was going to tackle two birds with one stone when the sudden ringing of someone's phone brings him out of his trance to see Reggie opening his eyes.

He quickly turns around and makes his way over to an empty hallway before answering it. " _Hello_?"

"Honey! Where are you? We are all over here at the game and Coach doesn't see you." Being Nick surely doesn't have its ups. He looks over at the boys before masking a façade. He walks over, carrying the biggest frown but a fake one. But who here knows the difference?

"What happened?"

"My Mom called. She said I have to go home at the moment. Something about some Coach needing me."

"Ah, that's too bad. I was looking forward to it." Luke mumbles, smirking over at Reggie and Alex. Clearly indicated that he is happy to remove the black sheep from their group. And no, this time it isn't Victoria. They all escorted Nick to the door before closing it shut and hurrying their way over to sit on the couch watching Victoria work the machines to create music of the past.

Then the sudden spontaneous sound of jazz music starts playing from the scarlet red record player that has its own vinyl record case right beside it. The boys all looked at each other before a second goes by. Then the sudden movement of Reggie is what brought alive all three of them.

Luke and Alex both got up and moved to where the coffee table used to be. Sudden moving to the beat, Victoria realized that maybe these boys can help her relive a moment in her life. "Boys, here. Sing these lyrics!"

She wants to know if they can change with the music. Victoria has an uneasy smile when she saw all three boys looked at each other. A smile from ear to ear is presented on her face when she heard the boys harmonizing. "Rolling... rolling... rolling..."

She continues to smile as if these were her kids. Pride is presented on her face as she continues to listen to them singing, "Proud Mary" from Tina Turner. Then the sudden voice of Reggie comes into view as Victoria looks over to see him looking like a nineties bartender. " _Left a good job in the city_..."

Victoria felt as if this was the late 90's again. She continues to sit down as each boy continues to sing their heart out for a song that they just barely are listening to now.

" _Working for the man every night and day_." The light tone of his smile is mixed by a deep dark colored mood presented at the tip of his voice. " _Then I never lost a minute of sleep_."

His eyes looked over at Luke, as if in an adoring way. " _When worrying about the way that things might have been_."

Luke glances over at Reggie before singing the next couple of lines. " _Big wheels keep on turning_."

Alex and the boys all shared a look before smiling at Victoria. " _Proud Mary keeps on burning_."

And then it was all the boys singing the sound and the repeating of the same word. " _Rolling_... _rolling... rolling... rolling on the river..._ "

It would have been a twist in their own performance when the doors suddenly open and it is revealed to be Julie, Flynn, and Ray back from the mall. By the looks of the five bags that Ray is holding. There is going to be a little Victoria Secret Fashion show, starring the boys from Sunset Curve.

But at least the one with the taste in writing country songs finally got to sleep inside of the studio, along with the dormant stamp on his right hand. 


	7. Chapter Seven - Green-Eyed Fool

Opening his eyes, Reggie saw he was back in bed. Molding both of his hands into a fist. He looks up at the ceiling to notice he wasn't in the studio, instead, he was in a room with a cozy and warm bed that has Adventure Time bedsheets and pillowcases. The idea of being in that show before brought a chill over and down his back. As if someone is watching over him from before he left the home.

Reggie never has the courage to do anything. He always wanted someone to compliment on what he did but _he_ wasn't there that night. Pulling the covers away from him, he gets out of bed to see the window was opened. The chill breeze washes over him as he looks down at the window.

On the window still, there were three rocks. As if there is someone down there ready to be hit by these rocks. Reggie started unconsciously laughing and pointing at someone who is holding both their hands on their face. Reggie tried to remove his hands from the sky when he saw the person standing by the lamppost look up from the ground.

A stream of tears started pouring out from their eyes, flooding the street in just five seconds. Noticing the sudden ground becoming so big. His feet were off the ground and he was drifting towards the person crying on the street. But before he could see their face. They were holding out their hands towards him.

Wanting someone to help them, someone to set those rumors right.

Someone to tell them that they are beautiful, that they are accepted, wanted around...

Instead, he looked straight at them to notice the person crying was him. The person crying was his 13-year-old self. Then the sudden realization rushed over him. A small tear made its way down his face. He waited for his old self to say his stupid line when something else wanted to surge.

" _I hate you, Reggie_! _I've always hated you_!" A sudden blow was made to his lower left abdomen as he looks behind him to see a young Luke screaming at him. Clutching on his side, he continues to hear what the young Luke was yelling at. But all Reggie could understand was something along the lines of being a liar. Something he hasn't done since the almost break up, of his parents.

Hoping to understand why he was like this. He raised his hand, hoping to calm down the young Luke but before he could. His hand trembled and slipped back into his pocket, the same mistake he did before. He never bothered to ask Luke what happened... or what caused this to happen.

But alas, nothing came up afterward as he placed a hand on Reggie's shoulder before staring directly into his green eyes. Reggie took in the features of Luke's face. This is definitely a couple of years or more after. Luke has that fringe instead of his short hair.

Being completely absorbed into his mind, Reggie didn't notice he was cornered on the wall by Luke. Hands-on on either side of his shoulder.

"I love-loved you..."

Reggie placed a hand on his head as he continued to look at Luke. So what is it?

Does Luke love him? Or did he loved him?

Automatically his hands went to his face as warm tears rush down from his eyes. He quickly moved from the side and ran away from Luke, hoping to hide from the same problem that happens almost every year. Luke hopes to date Reggie and for Reggie to feel the same but none of that will happen because Luke never loved Reggie...

 _And he will never love me_...

Reggie placed his journal with blurred writing as he doesn't remember what it was. He only went by what was inked onto his skull. Until his death, no one ever found the journal that was hidden under the floorboard in the house of Alex, which is now Julie's room.

 _A rumor told in school could lead to many things_.

Holding onto the rope, Reggie smiled as he looks over his journal. His goodbye journal for his Momma and Poppa. He never wanted his life to be like this but he never wanted Luke to find out he liked a boy from his past school.

Placing the tight noose around his neck. About ready to let his life go at the single age of just 15. Some things could have gone differently and Reggie wouldn't have been alive twice if it weren't for...

" _Reggie_!"

It all went quick for Reggie. Someone was tugging on his legs. Holding onto him. Wishing that his best friend didn't just _almost_ commit suicide. The sudden release of the tightness around his neck. He looks down to see the blond boy staring back at him.

"Reggie... you can't do this. I can't be alone in this without you or Luke. Now I don't care what happened in the dang past but killing yourself isn't going to solve those problems." Alex says picking up the journal and placing it inside of his pocket. The journal was never meant to be for Alex to find out...

"It's just going to make things worse." Alex placed his hands open before wrapping his best friend in a tight hug. A hug that changed history. But, that happy moment couldn't last long when he looked over in the mirror to see a couple of words written on his face.

The words "faggot" and "cocksucker" were all written diagonally on his face. Then the one thing he never wanted to remember came back to his mind. " _Hey, Luke! Is it true that you kissed Reggie_?" A jock yelled as they all placed a hand around Luke's shoulder.

" _No, why would I ever kissed that cocksucker. I beat you he kissed another guy! Hey Reggie, I never knew you were such a huge faggot_!"

But Reggie was just a fool. A green-eyed fool that keeps on forgiving the same boy, each year.


	8. Chapter Eight - Write Your Feelings

Words begin to echo around his mind as he opened his eyes. Shooting up from his sleeping bag. His breathing was raced and still racing. Why was he remembered about it now?

Reggie looks down at his hands to still see the mark on his upper arm. Tears begin to fall from his face as he curled up into a ball on the sleeping bag.

Luke always wanted to be good with those people. He always wanted more friends and more popularity during their early years of high school. No matter how much Reggie wanted to change it. He can't. He is constantly reminded of Luke accidentally kissing him and then telling it directly to his face that they were nothing.

Why does Reggie always forgive him?

No matter what happens. Even if it hurts, Reggie can't get rid of Luke if he wanted. Something in his mind wanted Luke to always be with him. He wanted Luke to be his lover, his boyfriend, his everything. But of course, that would've been a much lovelier ending for this story but not every story has a happy ending.

Some end with the main character committing suicide, killing someone, or just plain running away from everyone and never coming back.

Reggie was going to just jump off the ceiling when he heard a light knocking on the trapdoor of the upper area of the studio. "Reggie? Are you awake?"

The sweet voice of Julie is just what he is looking for. "Yeah..." Julie comes through the trapdoor and makes her way over to Reggie before sitting down on the wood floorboard. "So how did you sleep?"

Julie was going to think it was just happy tears when she saw something else on his face. More like something she's done in the past. "What happened?"

Reggie sits down before sighing. "I had a nightmare about something that happened almost four years before I died."

Julie does a simple calculation on her fingers before looking back at him. This was in between freshman year and or 8th grade. Reggie coughed a bit before inhaling and doing the process Alex told him to do if he was ever in a not so calm conversation. "Luke, he's not the loving one you know now. He used to get with me a lot of times. I would always reject him because it just felt weird to date him. I then yelled at him and it caused him to snap."

"He told me that I was his favorite star in the sky. That I was the only one he loved because his past girlfriends never gave him a sense of being happy. But one day I found out he had a girlfriend for a much longer time than me. That was the same day I found out I was his... his rebound."

"He told me that I was one, but he yelled at me that I was a lair. That I was someone else. All because I would hang out more with Alex. That's why I've always had a closer relationship with Alex because he is like a brother to me." Reggie says as Julie stared at him wide-eyed. She knew like zero of these things about Luke and they were pretty close. Like someone is making Julie their other rebound.

"He then told me I was a faggot and cocksucker in front of everyone during my freshman year. I was going to kill myself that night when Alex came rushing in and stopped me before I could do it. I told him everything, even to the kiss... Luke and I shared right before he went back with his girlfriend." Reggie closes his eyes as he placed his head in between his knees.

"Well, Reggie. For starters, I believe Luke is trying to change from being his past self. Look at him now, he isn't with those people that almost shaped his life. All because of someone." A small smile made its way towards Reggie's lips when Julie said that. It's true, Luke stopped doing that because of what Reggie told him a couple of months before they all joined a band with Bobby and Alex.

"I know. I am trying to believe he changed from being his fling a night guy. I tried and now that I had a dream about it. I don't know if I should be scared, mad, happy, or nothing right now." Reggie explained as he held tight to a pen in his right hand. Then a lightbulb went in Julie's mind. She smiled at him.

"What if you write your feelings? They don't have to rhythm to be a poem or writing!" Julie squealed as she runs over to find a box full of notebooks she bought one year when she was wanting to write music with her mother. "Here, just write anything on this page. Add sparkles to it. Make it your own."

Reggie nods at Julie's idea. "Thanks, Jules. I have no clue where I would be without you or your entire family and friends."

Reggie hugged her before getting started on writing the first couple lines of words that race through his mind before looking up from the page to see it was filled with words, drawings, and even a title... " _Rumor_ ". 


	9. Chapter Nine - Close Call

The words all came rushing in through his mind. All the way from when he first meets Luke. He looks up from the notebook to see no one in the studio. So quiet, Reggie thought the instruments were going to play themselves.

Getting up from the floor, he makes his way down to the main area to find the piano out and in the center. Walking over to the piano. He noticed the fallboard was still on the piano. He lifts it to see all the keys on the piano. Clicking on one key, the electricity goes through him again as he sits down on the piano and continues tapping away on the piano.

" _When I first heard of that rumor, I always thought_ ," Reggie stops before shifting his hands into a fist. Then the faint reminder of what Julie told him comes back to his mind. He looks back at the piano before starting back from where he ending; at the same time, someone else comes out from the bathroom to see Reggie singing the beautiful song. " _I always thought it was something that was never meant to leave that room_."

" _But then I heard a rumor about me being with you_." The memories of Luke kissing Reggie in High School came back and he was flush singing the song. His cheeks redden at the thought of Luke's feelings matching his, but at the same time. Someone else's heart is also beating in his favor. Even after many years, he still beats for him. " _Then I am losing my mind because I can't be with you_."

"They want us to be together, but we can't be around each other." Reggie sings as he finishes that segment of lines. He looks back at his paper before marking all the music notes in every corner and line that needed it. He was going to continue with the pre-chorus when he heard people coming through the studio's doors.

Looking over, Reggie sees Flynn and Julie walking in through the doors. Holding what seems to be bags of clothing. "Okay, Reg, since you weren't in the room. Here is what we have a plan for the Halloween Dance at the school!"

Making his way over to Julie, he sits down on the couch to see her with a broad smile. "We are going with _The Great Gatsby_. It's literally us. Minus the whole illegal stuff and romance."

"Julie is Daisy. I am Jordan. Luke said he was going to be Gatsby which Jules doesn't mind. Alex said he was going to be Tom. Willie also said he was going to be Myrtle which I do not understand but eh." Flynn says as she sits down beside Julie and Reggie.

"I see my name is already for the spot of Nick," Reggie says looking at Flynn's phone to see his name already beside it.

"Luke recommended us to put your name beside it." Julie and Flynn say at the same time as Reggie looks over at them.

Reggie nods as he places the notebook in her lap. "This is what I was able to write down in the time you were over there."

Julie and Flynn look at each other before they both read the lines together. "When I first heard of that rumor, I always thought." Flynn reads out loud as she glances up to see Julie smiling like a Cheshire cat at Reggie.

"I always thought it was something that was never to leave that room. Ooo, Reggie! What is this song about? Or maybe who is this song for?" Flynn asks as she hands Reggie the notebook back.

"Complicated love story that never could be what it wanted to be," Reggie says as Luke from afar admires him. Even if he had many girlfriends from before, none of them could compare to Reggie. That was because Reggie had one single string that no other girl could pull, and that was his heart.

Luke really wants to come out of this bathroom and explains it all to Reggie. Wanting to have his touch again. He wants to have Reggie's grin, jokes, and hugs once again, but nothing comes to Luke easily and he realized that when he first met him. He was great friends with Bobby. Yes, these two go far back.

Bobby was there the night Luke accidentally kissed Reggie. Just to almost get back at Luke. He was going to tell the entire school about their little endearment, but Luke told him something else. Which was that he was going to help Bobby find a girlfriend. Someone loyal and adorable for him. Luke was happily able to find in little time due to his fondness and cuteness.

And yes, the girlfriend to Bobby is his belated wife. The similarities are visible seen on both Carrie's mother and Carrie. They both have strawberry blond hair, a cheery smile, and a very beautiful birthmark on their inner side of their right wrist. One that he saw on both Carrie and her mother.


	10. Chapter Ten - Handwriting

Watching them from the bathroom, he watches as Julie and Flynn walk the studio doors. Trailing his eyes down Reggie, his eyes continued to stay attached to a journal. It was a baby blue color with the word, Reggie, on it. Reggie lays down on the couch and places the notebook under the coffee table.

Luke decides to take a chance. He slowly opened the bathroom door and makes his way over to Reggie to catch him off guard. Reggie loses balance on the couch and slips to the ground. "Ow! Luke you do know sneaking up on people is a great ability!"

"I'm sorry. I thought you were sleeping and..." Luke trails off as Reggie sits up to look at him.

"Sleeping? I thought you were in the house. How did you get in here so quickly without Julie or Flynn noticing?"

"I came in through the bathroom... I guess you and the girls were busy chatting away that you guys didn't see me walk in." Luke says as he walks around the table to see the notebook still under the table.

"I see. Well, I got to get going over to eat something since I haven't eaten anything so far."

Luke nods as he watches Reggie getting up and walking over to the door before opening it and closing it. Feeling a little bad, he sits down on the couch to see the notebook in his view.

Luke grabs the notebook from under the table and smiles at it. Taking a closer inspection of what the notebook holds. He was going to open it when he heard the door open and Reggie was at the door. Reggie held a shocked and scared look as he continues to gaze over at him.

The temptation of asking Reggie what it is is rising over on how much he can handle. "Um, I found this, and I was wondering who it was?"

"It's um, Jules. I think...." Reggie's eyes darted to the ground as he continues to mess with the hem of his blue shirt. Luke got up and made his way over to Reggie. To stand in front of him when something came over him. More like a memory.

It was February of his freshman year in the high school year of course. He was just walking into his classroom when he heard someone singing from inside the empty class. Pushing open the door, he found a boy with fluffy black hair singing at an open window. Hands are both intertwined as he continues to hear the boy sing.

Sitting down on the chair, he continues to hear the unknown boy sing. The words he used to have to sing were a blur to Luke as this was ages ago. His mind went blank for a second as he continues to hear the angel sent upon him, sing.

" _Hi_?" The boy said as he looks at Luke. It took a couple of minutes to realize that he has been sitting there for the entire 4 minutes of the boy singing.

"Sorry! I just heard you singing and thought you sounded like an angel and..." Luke trails off as his cheeks flush a bright red color.

"Oh, that's nice of you. No one in my family likes to hear me sing because I'm supposed to be a manly boy."

Luke smiled at the boy before asking him. "Who showed you that song? It sounds beautiful?"

"I found it myself. I quite fell in love with the singer of the song." Reggie says as he looks back out the window.

Luke placed a hand on his forehead as he looks over at Reggie. He doesn't know when he feels for his best friend. All he knows is that he can't just point fingers at him for every single minor or major mistake in his life.

" _I did not sing a song about him_!" Reggie shouts as he looks at the four people surrounding him. Little Reggie didn't even know who the boy was at the time of his freshman year. The only things he knew about the boy was that he was a prick and a fling a night type of boy. Doesn't care about relationships around or close to him.

" _Then who were you singing it to_?"

" _No one because I have no one_!" Reggie shouts as he grabs his bag back from a blonde girl. Everyone stopped talking and messing around with Reggie as the little boy rushed out of the room with his backpack in his hands.

"Luke? Are you okay?" Reggie asks as he looks at him.

Looking up at the boy in front of him. He doesn't even know how he is still standing in front of him.

After everything, Luke did to him.

Reggie kept on coming back into his life...

He places a hand on his forehead before rubbing it a bit. His face was getting slightly warm at the sudden thought of that day in freshman year where he pointed fingers at Reggie for singing a song towards him.

Luke looked over at him before eying the floor. He hates being the reason Reggie used to cut before.

He sighs before getting up and walking over to the door. Right before he left, he glances over at Reggie. "You have beautiful handwriting."

And he was out the door to Julie's home. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *~*
> 
> How is the story going?


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